Heel seat fitting machine



March 3, H GORDON r AL 2,032,411

HEEL SEAT FITTING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1935 4 Sh'eets-Sheet l gmnntotd/ Elam fordon Alfie}? (Foyye y/M/wflMz z March 3, 1936. H. GORDON ET AL HEEL SEAT FITTING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y gwuwntowr Hiram 6020 022 fllber iffi o je dbfozwcq arch 1936. H. GORDON El AL HEEL SEAT FITTING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 3, 1936. H. GORDON ET AL HEEL SEAT FITTING MACHINE Filed April 26, 1955 4 sheets Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 3, 1936 HEEL SEAT FITTING MACHINE Hiram Gordon and Albert C. Rogge, Columbus, Ohio Application April 26, 1935, Serial No. 18,404

7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in heel seat fitting machines, and has particular reference to an improved, simplified and efficient machine for removing the surplus stock from the peripheral edges of. the heel portion of shoe outsoles during shoe manufacture for the purpose of enabling a subsequently applied wood heel to closely and evenly engage with the shoe upper, to the end of avoiding the presence of joints or openings between the outer peripheral edges of a heel and the shoe upper and to produce a neat, pleasing appearance.

An important object of the present invention resides in a heel seat fitting or trimming machine provided with. improved means for producing at proper places transverse cuts or slits in a shoe outsole extending from the outer edges thereof toward the center portion and disposed in registration with the breast line of the wood heel to be attached thereto.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of improved gage means which may be adjusted to the length of the heel to be attached to ashoe, for the purpose of providing positioning means for accurately registering the outsole of a shoe with the cutters employed for producing the transverse slits or cuts in the outsole, whereby proper, rapid and accurate fitting of a wood heel on a trimmed heel seat may be obtained.

30 In certain of its'aspects, the present invention provides an improvement in connection with heel seat fitting machines of the type disclosed in our prior Patents Nos. 1,740,667 dated Dec. 24, 1929 and 1,888,722 dated Nov. 22, 1932.

3 With these and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination of elements and arrangements of parts hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a heel seat fitting machine formed in accordance with the 45 present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line II-II of Fig. 1 and disclosing more particularly the heel gaging and breast line cutting mecha nism;

50 Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional View of said gaging and cutting mechanism on the plane indicated by the line III-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the cutting mechanism for producing the transverse breast line 55 slits in a shoe sole;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the mechanism disclosed in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view on the plane indicated by the line VI--VI of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a detail fractional view of the clutch mechanism for governing the operation of the transverse sole slitting cutter;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line VIIIVIII of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the operating treadle 10 for the clutch mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a detail sectional view taken through one of the upper guards and associated slit cutter;

Fig. 11 is a detail sectional View on the line XI-XI of Fig. 2. 15

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral l designates the frame generally of our improved heel seat fitting machine. The frame comprises a base section 2, an upright ped estal section 3 and ahead section 4, the said sec- 0 tions being preferably of separable formation and bolted or otherwise secured together as at 5 to form a rigid structure.

The pedestal section is provided with an electric motor 6 which, through suitable belts and pulleys, indicated at 1, drives a head shaft 8 supported in connection with a bracket 9 carried by the upper end of the pedestal section 3. The head section is of substantially the same construction as set forth in our aforesaid patent and inasmuch as it does not enter directly into the present invention, but a short and general description thereof will be given. The said head section includes inner and outer guides l0 and l l respectively which effect the support of a flat and relatively thin metallic knife l2, which is used for trimming or removing surplus stocks from around the peripheral portion of the heel end of a shoe sole. The head shaft 8 is provided with an eccentric with which is associated an arm l3 also connected at its opposite end with the-cutter l2, whereby as the head shaft rotates, rapid reciprocatory-motion will be imparted to the fiat bladed cutter l2 so that when the periph: eral edge of a shoe outsole is presented thereto, the leather will be cleanly and quickly cut at an acute angle to the plane of the sole. In cross section, therefore, the heel end of the sole when so trimmed or fitted will possess transversely a substantially convex configuration which enables it to be readily received within the concave upper surface of a wood heel, so that the peripheral edges of the wood heel may be brought into close fitting relationship with the shoe upper.

In the patent to the applicant Gordon 1,888,722,

the operation and construction there disclosed consists in cutting the shoe sole peripherally with a means corresponding to the knife I2 to position in registration with the breast line of the heel, leaving at the breast line short flaps or extensions of surface sole stock, and finally severing these flaps or extensions by secondary cutter means in line with the heel breast. Also, in our aforesaid patent, the machines there disclosed required that the sole stock be marked individually at the heel breast line to determine how far the operator should cut the sole stock, that is, the position of the breast line. In accordance with our present invention, these operations are simplified and reduced in number by the provision of novel mechanism for first producing in the shoe sole, prior to the trimming or fitting operation, transverse slits disposed exactly in registration with the breast line of a wood heel to be attached to the sole, the said slits extending from the outer peripheral edge of the sole inwardly towards the center thereof, so that the soles thus silt or severed may then be immediately presented to the primary knife l2 to remove the surface sole stock and to produce the desired bevel around the peripheral edge of a heel seating portion in a complete, readily executed and finished manner and by rapidly executed operations. The present invention further providing in conjunction with the cutters for producing the transverse slits in the heel breast region of the sole, an improved gage mechanism adjustable in accordance with the length of the heel, or of any particular heel or templet, to be fitted, to the end of insuring the producing of the transverse slits in precisely the desired positions in the shoe sole.

To attain these ends, among others, the machine is constructed to provide a heel seat gaging mechanism comprising a bracket I4 projecting from the pedestal section 3 in connection with which a heel rest |5 is formed having an upstanding stationary flange I6. Formed in connection with the bracket I4 is a stationary rod H which may be calibrated as at l8 in'accordance with various heel or templet sizes. Slidable longitudinally of the rod I1 is a gage member l9, provided at one end with an adjustable stop device 28. The gage member may be clamped in any of its adjusted positions on the rod H by means of a friction screw 2|. The operative positions of the gage member I9 on the rod I! are determined by placing a heel, or a heel templet, on the heel rest l5, with the breast edges of the heel or templet in engagement with the flange I8 and the back of the heel or templet in engagement with the stop 20 on the gage member l9.

It will be understood that the heel or templet thus used to gage the working positions of the member I9 will correspond in dimensions to the wood heels which are to be applied to shoes having the heel portions of the outsoles thereof trimmed or-formed in accordance with the heel seating operations performed by the machine. Inasmuch as these heel sizes vary with the sizes of different shoes, the necessity for adjusting the working positions of the gage member will be understood. After the gage member has been adjusted on the rod IT to a desired position, the screw 2| is tightened to retain the gage member against movement while a given number of heel seats, suitable'for that particular size of heel, are trimmed or fitted by the machine.

The other end of the gage member l9 carries a vertically adjustable gage bracket -22 from which projects in a forward direction a tapering metallic lip 23, which, as shown in Fig. 2, is adapted to enter the Rand crease formed between the outsole 24 of a shoe and the meeting edges of the counter or upper 25 thereof. The bracket M has its under side provided, as shown in Fig. 5, with a pair of pivoted transversely spaced guards 26. These guards comprise metallic plates pivotally secured to the under portions of the bracket M as at 21 and have their outer ends formed with curved jaws 28 which are adapted to engage with the counter or upper 25 of a shoe when the latter is placed in engagement with the brackets 22 and 23 of the gage, as disclosed in Fig. 2. The guards include curved edges 29 which slidably contact with the outer edges of the outsole 24, to support these edges of the outsole in spaced relation from the counter 25, and. to protect the counter from the action of the breast line cutters for the outsole to be hereinafter described. Further, the guards are formed with arcuate slots 30 for the reception of studs 3| projecting stationarily from the lower side of the bracket 4, and wire springs 32 cooperate with said guards and are carried by the bracket H, as disclosed in Fig. 5, and tend to rock said guards about their pivots in a horizontal plane toward a shoe positioned between the same as indicated in Fig. 4.

The bracket 4 includes a vertically upstanding portion 33 provided with outwardly diverging vertical surfaces 34. Pivotally secured to these surfaces as at 35 are carrier plates 36, which have their lower ends formed with sockets 31 for the reception of breast line knives 38. Springs 39 cooperate with the carrier plates 36 and the upstanding portion 33 of the bracket M to normally maintain the carrier plates in the position disclosed in Fig. 4, wherein the sharpened edges of the cutters 38 are maintained in such spaced relationship as to be beyond the peripheral edges of a shoe outsole when the latter is inserted into contact with the gaging mechanism.

In order to rock the carrier plates and the cutters 38 so that the cutters will produce transverse slits in the outsole in registration with the heel breast line thereof, there is joumaled for partial rotary movement in the upstanding portion 33 of the bracket I4 a shaft 40 which, as disclosed in Figs. 2 and 4, carries at its outer end a cam 4| normally disposed between adjoining edge portions of the plates 36. Additionally, the cam 4| is connected with the plates 36 by means of pivoted and slotted links 42. It will be seen that by the use of this construction, whenever the shaft 40 is partially rotated, the cam 4| and its associated links 42 would oscillate the plates 36 against the resistance of their springs 39. The pivotal support of the plates 36 on the bracket 33 is such that this oscillation will cause the sharpened edges of the cutters 38 to engage with the shoe outsole 24 and produce therein the transverse slits 43, which will be located exactly at the heel breast line of the sole, due to the provision of the locating mechanism including the adjustable stop 22 and 23. These slits possess their maximum depth at the outer edge of the outsole and because the cutters swing inwardly and outwardly, due to the positions of the carrier plate pivots, the transverse slots or slits formed in the outsole by the cutters will possess their maximum depth at the outer edges of the outsole and of progressively decreasing depth toward the central portion of the shoe outsole. It will be understood that this will result in the formation of shoulders on the outsole when the surplus material is trimmed from the peripheral heel region of the outsole by the cutting or trimming blade l2 .in a subsequently executed operation. The walls of these sole shoulders at the heel breast line maybe vertical, under-cut, or outwardly beveled by varying the positions of the gage bracket 22 on the member l9, which is accomplished by means of the clamping screws 44 and the vertical slots 45 formed in the bracket .22, as disclosed in Fig. 11.

The operation of the shaft 40 is obtained by providing the motor 6 with a belt wheel or pulley around which extends an endless belt '46, which leads to a pulley provided on the shaft of a. speed reducing mechanism 41, :the latter being mounted on the base 2. This mechanism is provided with a power take-ofi wheel 48 around which is trained an endless belt 49, which leads to a pulley Wheel 50 journaled in connection with a bearing bracket 5| of the pedestal section 3. As disclosed in Fig. '7, the pulley wheel 56 is loosely mounted on a shaft 52 which is rotatably supported in the bearing bracket, and the hub of the wheel 50 is formed at one end with a key slot 53. Slidably and rotatably carried by the shaft 52 is a spring pressed key 54 which is normally held out of engagement with the slot 53 by means of a bell crank lever 55 pivoted as at 56 in connection with the bracket 5|. The operation of the lever 55 is governed by the foot of the operator. This may be effected by providing the base section 2 with a pivoted foot treadle '51, as disclosed in Fig. .9. By manually pressing one end of this'treadle, the opposite end thereof is elevated, causing the oscillation of a centrally pivoted arm 58, shown in Fig. 8. The raising of one end of thearm 58,by the operation of the treadle 51, lowers the other end of the centrally pivoted arm 58 with which is connected the lower .end of a substantially vertically extending rod '59, the upper end of said rod being connected with a horizontally disposed arm of the bell crank lever 55. Therefore, by depressing the treadle, the lever 55 will be moved out of engagement with the key 54 carried by the normally non-rotating shaft 52. This allows the key to be pressed forwardly by its spring and since the belt wheel '56 is continuously rotating, the said key will be forced by its spring into the key slot 53 of the wheel 50, thus causing rotation of the shaft 52 in unison with the wheel 50. Inasmuch as the treadle is usually but momentarily depressed, the bell crank lever 55 is restored to its normal position, as disclosed in Figs. 7 and 8, either by gravity or by spring pressure, so that the sharpened and upper claw-like end of said lever will be in position to engage with the key and automatically move the same out of engagement with the pulley wheel so as to terminate the rotation of the shaft 52 after each 360 of rotation thereof.

The shaft 52 is provided, as shown in Figs. 6 and '7, with a wheel 60 carrying an eccentrically disposed pin or stud 62, and connected with this stud is a throw arm 63, having its outer end threaded as at 64 and provided with heel size calibrations 65, the threads 64 receiving an adjustable nut 66. Slidably received by the arm 63 is a sleeve 61 provided at its outer side with trunnions 68 with which is connected a bifurcated crank arm 69 secured to a hollow shaft 10 rotatably mounted in a fixed bearing H carried by the bracket l4. The shaft 10 has its outer end formed with a substantially square socket for the reception of the squared end of the cam shaft 46. The arm 63 is provided with a. coil spring 12, positioned between a fixed collar 13 on the arm 63 and the sleeve 61. Normally, the sleeve 6'! is spaced from the inner end of the nut 66 by the fact that the crank arm 69 is held against movement by the clamping action of the carrier plates 36 on the cam 4|. By adjusting the nut 66 on the threaded end 64 of the throw arm 63, the engagement of the nut 66 with thesleeve 61 may be varied to regulate the throw or rocking action of the crank arm 69 and consequently the degree of rotation of the cam shaft 46, whereby the extent of oscillation of the breast line cutters 38 of the outsole may be regulated or varied to meet the requirements of different typesand sizes of shoes.

In the use of our machine, a heel or templet corresponding to a heel which is to be applied to a given shoe is first placed on the heel rest I 5, as indicated in Fig. 3, and the gage member l9 moved so that the stop 20 will contact with the rear end of the heel or templet. The operator by referring to the calibrations l8 appearing on the rod l'l may then determine the size of that particular heel and will adjust the nut 66 on the calibrated end of the arm 63 in accordance with such size calibrations. A shoe tohave the heel seat thereof trimmed to accommodate the heel to be attached, is then placed in engagement with the bracket 22 and the guards 26, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The shoe of course may be supported on a last and the guards 26 and also the lip 23 will engage with the under side of the peripheral portion of the outsole to hold that portion of the outsole spaced from the upper or counter 25 when the breast line slits are being formed. By momentarily depressing the treadle 51, the motor 6 and associated power transmitting devices will effect one complete revolution of the shaft 52 on which the wheel 66 is mounted. While a constant throw will be imparted to the arm 63 due to its eccentric connection with the wheel 60, yet the effect of this throw may be varied by the operating positions which the nut 66 occupies on the threaded end of the arm 63, thus varying the oscillation of the cam 4| and its associated cutters 38. The partial rotation of the cam 4| results in spreading the upper ends of the carrier plates 36, thereby causing the lower ends of the cutters 38 to be moved into transverse engagement with the shoe outsole 24 to produce the transverse breast line slits. During thiscutting operation, the lower ends of the cutters may pass through grooves 14 provided in the upper surfaces of the guards 26. These grooves, however, do not extend completely through the guards but merely provide clearance for the lower ends of the cutters. Following the formation of the transverse breast line slits, the shoe is removed from engagement with the bracket l4 and the mechanism supported thereon and is transferred, by manual operation, to the upper or head end of the machine so that the surplus stock of the marginal portion of the outsole at its heel end may be removed by the knife 12. When this is accomplished, the fitting operation is completed and the shoe is in condition for the reception of an accurately fitting heel.

What is claimed is:

1. A heel seat fitting machine comprising a support formed to include a pair of vertically extending, angularly directed surfaces, spring pressed carrier plates pivotally mounted upon said surfaces, knife means carried by said plates,

a shaft journaled in said support, a cam member provided upon said shaft between said plates, link means uniting said cam member and plates, means for rocking said shaft, and guard members pivoted to said support below said plates.

2. A heel seat fitting machine comprising a support formed to include a pair of vertically extending, angularly directed surfaces, spring pressed carrier plates pivotally mounted upon said surfaces, cutting means carried by the lower ends of said plates, a shaft journaled for rotary movement in said support, a. cam member provided upon said shaft and arranged to engage the inner edges of said plates, link means connecting said cam member and said plates, guard members pivoted to the under surfaces of said means for varying the degree of rotation of said shaft. 7

3. A heel seat fitting machine comprising a support including a pair of angularly directed vertical walls and a substantially horizontal bottom wall, a spring pressed carrier plate pivotally mounted upon each of said vertical walls, cutting means carried by the lower ends of said plates, a shaft journaled for rotation in said support, a cam member provided upon said shaft and arranged to engage the adjacent edges of said plates, link means connecting said cam member and plates, curvedguard members pivoted to said horizontal bottom wall, a gage bracket provided upon said support to locate the shoe to be treated, and means for rotating said shaft.

l. A machine for forming the breast line of a heel seat comprising a support formed to include a pair of angularly related vertical walls and a substantially horizontal bottom wall in registration therewith, a carrier plate mountedfor oscillatory'rocking movement on each of said vertical walls, cutting means provided upon the lower ends of said carrier plates, spring pressed curved guard members pivoted to said horizontal wall in registration with said cutting means, a shaft journaled for rotary movement in said support, means for rotating said shaft, a cam member provided upon the outer end of said shaft, spring means for holding said carrier plates in engagement with said cam member, link means for transmitting power from said cam to said plates, and a gage bracket adjustably carried 'by said support for locating the breast line of a shoe to be treated in registration with said cutting means.

5. A machine for forming the breast line of a heel seat comprising a support, a shaft journaled for rotation in said support, means for rotating said shaft, a cam member provided in connection with said shaft, a pair of carrier plates piv- V oted for rocking movement on said support, link means connecting said plates with said cam member, curved guard members pivoted to said support beneath said cairier plates, cutting means provided upon said carrier plates, a gage bracket adjustably carried by said support, and means for utilizing a heel to locate said gage bracket.

6. A machine for cutting the breast line of a heel seat comprising a support, a shaft journaled for rotation inrsaid support, means for rotating said shaft, a cam member provided in connection with said shaft, a pair of carrier plates pivoted for rocking movement on said support, link means connecting said plate with said cam member, cutting means provided upon the lower ends of said carrier plates, downwardly and outwardly curved guard members pivoted to said support beneath said carrier plates, a gage bracket adjustably carried by said support, and means for utilizing a heel to locate said gage bracket, said means including a stationary rest for the heel, a flange provided upon said rest for engaging one edge of the heel, and a stop member carried by said bracket and arranged to engage the opposite edge of the heel.

7. A machine of the character described comprising a base, an upright carried by said base, a support provided in connection with said upright, vertically arranged oscillatory knives carried by said support, curved guard members pivoted to said support below and in registration with said knives, a shaft journaled in said support,'a cam member provided upon said shaft, links connecting said cam member and said knives, a bearing provided in connection with said support in registration with said shaft, a second shaft journaled for rotation in said bearing and keyed to said first shaft, a crank arm carried by said second shaft, a throw arm pivotally connected near one end to the lower end of said crank, a bearing bracket provided in connection with said upright, a shaft journaled in said bearing bracket, a wheel mounted at one end of said shaft, said throw arm having its opposite end eccentrically connected with said wheel, a pulley loosely mounted on said shaft, manually controlled means for connecting said pulley with said shaft and means for rotating said pulley.

HIRAM GORDON. ALBERT C. ROGGE. 

